Iowa Neonatology Handbook: General

Blood Pressure in the Newborn

Edward F. Bell, MD
Peer Review Status: Internally Peer Reviewed

The following figures and table can be used to assess normal blood pressure in young premature infants. Hypotension should not usually be treated without other signs of insufficient cardiac output (e.g. poor skin perfusion, metabolic acidosis, anuria).

Mean and 95% confidence limits for blood pressure during the first 12 hours after birth.

Predicted systolic blood pressure (mmHg) in symptom-free low-birth weight newborns from 3 to 96 hours of age

References:

Moscoso P, Goldberg RN, Jamieson J, Bancalari E. Spontaneous elevation in arterial blood pressure during the first hours of life in the very-low-birth-weight infant. J Pediatr 1983;103:114-117.

Tan KL. Blood pressure in very low birth weight infants in the first 70 days of life. J Pediatr 1988;112:266-270.

Versmold HT, Kitterman JA, Phibbs RH, Gregory GA, Tooley WH. Aortic blood pressure during the first 12 hours of life in infants with birth weight 610 to 4,220 grams. Pediatrics 1981;67:607-613.

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